Freedom Week is in town until Saturday. The Festival of Movement Freedom also awaits you in keeping with the theme. There are also guided tours of the Olympic Stadium, a philosophical festival, two gala events and, of course, atmospheric highlights for the beginning of the pre-Christmas period. You can get in the mood for the festive season with Dickens' Christmas story or in the sea of lights in the Christmas Garden.
Tip 1: Take advantage of the last opportunities during Berlin Freedom Week
Berlin Freedom Week has been running since the previous week to mark the 36th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall with exhibitions, guided tours, talks and films. The peaceful and successful struggle for freedom by the people of East Germany is a source of enormous inspiration. And for this last weekend, the programme is once again huge. The programme starts in the morning and continues into the early evening.
For example, you can visit the Berlin Wall Memorial Visitor Centre with guided tours and the Campus for Democracy, the former headquarters of the GDR State Security. Museums, libraries, schools, associations and other public institutions work together during Berlin Freedom Week to keep freedom and democracy as valuable achievements under discussion, to defend them and to develop them further. Take part!
When: Friday and Saturday
Where: Various locations throughout Berlin
Tip 2: Bring your trainers and your groove to the ball
The Hip Hop Ball in Berlin combines high culture and subculture to create something completely new. You can thank the Viennese Sajeh Tavassoli, who launched the concept in 2015, for this extraordinary experience. The dress code is initially very festive: dress and dark suit with bow tie, in the style of the Viennese Debutante Ball. But if you then look at the footwear, you'll discover colourful sneakers.
And you don't get to see the location every day either: You can dance in the Red City Hall and enjoy live performances and DJ sets from over 50 artists. One of the highlights is the awarding of the Chain of Glory to women who have made an outstanding contribution to the German hip hop scene. You can also look forward to a graffiti exhibition and the artistry of the Flying Steps.
When: Saturday from 19:30
Where: Rotes Rathaus, Rathausstraße 15, Mitte
Tip 3: Experience Dickens' classic Christmas story as a musical
The story of the nasty, miserly Scrooge, who has to be converted to goodness on Christmas Eve, is simply marvellous. Countless stage versions and films have already been released, but the Christmas tale never gets boring. A Christmas Story is particularly festive as a musical on the stage of the Stage Bluemax Theatre at Potsdamer Platz.
The music by Michael Schanze and Christian Berg adds even more emotion to the story and gets you straight into the festive mood. Feel sorry for poor accountant Bob, get spooked by the ghosts of Christmas and blissfully experience the turn for the better.
When: Friday to Sunday at various times
Where: Stage Bluemax Theatre, Marlene-Dietrich-Platz 4, Mitte
Tickets for the Christmas story
Tip 4: Talk about important topics at Philo.live
Take the philosophical quartet and expand it into a festival. That could have been the basic idea behind Philo.live! The result is an annual festival on the key issues of our time. In times of change, this year's Philo.live! is also about change, whether on a personal or global scale.
How can change for the better succeed, what goals can and should we set ourselves? How do we defend democracy? The greats of the profession and fellow thinkers from the worlds of culture and politics will be doing the honours on the podium. And you are also in demand. Discuss with Peter Sloterdijk, Daniel Cohn-Bendit, Bernhard Schlink and Sahra Wagenknecht and let yourself be guided by the desire for good dialogue!
When: Friday to Sunday at various times
Where: Haus des Rundfunks, Masurenallee 8-14, Charlottenburg and silent green Kulturquartier, Gerichtsstraße 35, Wedding
Tip 5: Get to know Jewish life in Berlin
The Jewish Culture Days 2025 are in full swing. With concerts, films, readings, exhibitions and discussions, you can immerse yourself in Jewish life and culture. This weekend, for example, you can experience the combination of concert and installation using virtual reality.
Jazz bassist Avishai Cohen will be playing with his band in the Rykestraße synagogue and Christian Berkel will be reading from his novel Sputnik. The film Irena's Secret will be shown at the Hackesche Höfe cinema and the group Yamma Teiman will take you back to the tradition of Yemenite and Sephardic grandparents. Get ready to discover the diversity and perspectives of Jewish culture!
When: Friday to Sunday at various times
Where: Numerous locations throughout Berlin
Tip 6: Celebrate the best theatre productions for young people at Parkaue
It's that time again: the best theatre productions for children and young people will be awarded an Ikarus . The Children's and Youth Theatre an der Parkaue is the perfect venue for this festive gala. A total of eight plays will be competing for the prizes for children's and youth theatre. During the gala, you will experience short excerpts from the productions.
Presenter Fargo will guide you through the programme of music and dance acts with rapped moderations until the festive award ceremony at the end. The organisers are looking forward to a packed auditorium and thunderous applause with free admission. You can get your free tickets online.
When: Friday at 6 pm
Where: Theatre an der Parkaue, Parkaue 29, Lichtenberg
Tip 7: Loosen up at the Festival of Freedom of Movement
Since 2017, the FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT Festival has been dedicated to the themes of freedom of movement, escape and arrival. Under the canopy of the CABUWAZI circus tent in Tempelhof, young artists fly through the air and impress with breathtaking body control and virtuoso tricks.
The CABUWAZI youth ensemble with circus artists aged between 14 and 21 starts in the afternoon. The Open Stage with young artists from the CABUWAZI community will then open at 7 pm. And of course, there's plenty of opportunity to move yourself: from 9.30 pm, you can shake a leg at the after-show party. The live music will be provided by the girl band The Bridesgown.
When: Saturday, 4 pm (1st show), 7 pm (2nd show), 9.30 pm (party)
Where: CABUWAZI, Columbiadamm 84, Tempelhof
Tip 8: Make a premium visit to the Olympiastadion
The Olympiastadion Berlin is perhaps Germany's most famous stadium with its glass roof construction and iconic blue running track. Countless stories lie dormant here and numerous secrets are waiting to be revealed. During the two-hour premium tour, you will follow in the footsteps of German architectural and sporting history.
You will gain an insight into areas that are otherwise closed to visitors and take a look inside the changing rooms and the tunnel for players. By the end of the tour, you will know exactly how this huge machinery works and how it is possible to organise and keep 75,000 people happy in such a small space. The tour can be booked in German or English. Off to the stadium!
When: Saturday, Sunday 12pm in German and 1pm in English
Where: Olympic Stadium, Olympischer Platz 3, Westend
Tip 9: Discover the versatility of Georgian art
PANDA platforma is an association that creates spaces for interdisciplinary art and participation. Under the umbrella of PANDAwomen, the collective presents seven mini-festivals each Friday in November and December, each focussing on a different country.
So if you've always wanted to find out more about Georgian art , you've come to the right place. The artist Elza Javakhishvili is responsible for the Georgian part and will be creating an evening full of music, pictures and literature this Friday. The evening opens with a keynote speech and reading by celebrated author Nino Haratischwili. It continues with poetry and documentary films before the evening is rounded off with three very different musical acts.
When: Friday 7pm
Where: PANDA platforma, Knaackstraße 97, Prenzlauer Berg
Tip 10: Come to Tempelhof and experience great diversity
The CrossKultur festival in Tempelhof-Schöneberg is starting its 17th edition and puts diversity centre stage. You can attend the opening ceremony on Friday from 6 pm at Rathaus Schöneberg. Afterwards, you can choose between many participating locations and performers. All free of charge.
The participating organisations and institutions will entice you with exhibitions, workshops, talks and much more. Participation is expressly encouraged: so get involved, get interested and get talking. For example on Sunday with the performance collective KoKo. The perfect meeting point is a hairdressing salon.
When and where: Friday to Sunday at various times
Where: Various venues in Tempelhof-Schöneberg
Tip 11: Bathe in the sea of lights in the Botanical Garden
With hundreds of thousands of lights, the Botanical Garden is transformed into a wonderful world of light. During your visit, you will wander through worlds of colour and animations in the Christmas Garden and discover Christmas animals and figures made of light around every bend.
In between, you can fortify yourself for the next highlights at cosy rest areas with mulled wine stands and bratwurst grills. The marvellous historic greenhouses are also open and part of the big production. You can save money by booking online tickets early , as the price for one of the time slots varies according to demand. So get out into the fresh air and let yourself be enchanted in the Christmas Garden!
When: daily at dusk from 19.11.
Where: Botanical Garden, Königin-Luise-Straße 6-8, Dahlem
Tickets for the Christmas Garden
Here you can find even more great tips for activities & things to do in Berlin - whatever the weather.
